Strategic Insights Update

Lion Energy will partner with Mitsubishi subsidiary DGA Energy Solutions Australia and Samsung’s C&T Corporation to develop a green hydrogen production facility at the Port of Brisbane. DGA and Samsung will initially pay a total of $3.7 million to Lion for pre-construction costs and will procure debt financing totalling $6.3 million to start construction. The initiative aims to create  sustainable refuelling infrastructure for future bus and truck fleets, with a production capacity of over 300 tonnes per annum.

Rio Tinto and Woodside Energy have partnered to launch a $60 million research hub at the University of Queensland, focusing on bio-sustainability and emissions reduction. The initiative aims to develop innovative solutions using carbon-eating bacteria to convert greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels and materials. This collaboration highlights the increasing pressure on major emitters to adopt cleaner technologies and the potential for significant advancements in the mining and energy sectors.

The Queensland Government will partner with the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) to develop an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Advisory Panel as part of Queensland’s Critical Minerals Strategy to enhance sustainability practices within the sector. This initiative aims to elevate Queensland's global competitiveness in critical minerals by demonstrating a commitment to fostering ESG excellent and attracting sustainable investment.

The Australian Government aims to position the country as a global leader in safe and responsible artificial intelligence (AI) through the National AI Centre's (NAIC) Voluntary AI Safety Standard. This guide provides best practices for businesses, sectors, and industries developing, procuring, and deploying AI systems. With 10 voluntary guardrails, the standards will help users harness AI's benefits while mitigating risks, taking a human-centred approach that is modular, agile, and flexible.

The anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged during two state elections in Eastern Germany. The party took first place in Thuringa, and second place behind the centre-right CDU in Saxony. The far-right surge comes in spite of warnings from Germany's domestic intelligence agency about extremism in the party as well as widespread condemnation, highlighting the extent to which some disillusioned voters are looking for far-right populist alternatives outside of the status quo.

Brisbane City Council has outlined how the city plans to leverage the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games to enhance transport infrastructure through urban air mobility (UAM) and eVTOL technologies. ‘The Race to Gold - Brisbane’s Games Transport Legacy’ emphasises the importance of government collaboration and investment to realise these ambitions and notes the potential to showcase these technologies on a global stage.

The war in Sudan between two rival military factions is “impacting severely on three continents” says Endre Stiansen, Norway’s ambassador to Sudan. The war, which has so far killed 150,000 people, could increase the flow of refugees to Europe, exacerbate the Red Sea shipping crisis, create a haven for terrorists, and further complicate already unstable regional geopolitics. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) said in May that they will allow a Russian outpost in Port Sudan, something which could impact the balance of power in the Red Sea and allow easier Russian-Iranian cooperation.